Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise a very important issue with the Tánaiste on the minimum wage. As he is aware, his Government did not give an increase this year. There are many groups of workers who are facing into Christmas in dire stress while living on the minimum wage. There is one group that is working in community centres, and he may have seen their plight highlighted. They have a real difficulty as they have no pay scale, so their pay never goes up. If the Government does not give an increase, they are living at a deficit to the previous year because of the cost of living. They are told that their employer is the local community centre but Pobal and Fingal County Council actually pay the wages. Where do they go? Is the Tánaiste going to look into this situation whereby the whole community sector actually will get the increase that it needs to pay the full rate of the minimum wage? All workers should be paid the same but the community employment, CE, workers with whom these workers work are getting paid more. Can the Tánaiste sort out this inequality and low pay?

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